Broadford take first blood overcoming Mills in East Clare derby

*Stiofan McMahon gets away from Conor Cooney. Photograph: Ruth Griffin

BROADFORD prevailed in the East Clare derby against neighbours O’Callaghans Mills to claim the first points on offer in Group 2 of the TUS Clare senior hurling championship.

Broadford 2-17
O’Callaghans Mills 0-19
Venue: Clonlara GAA Club

It was an occasion which included many firsts for the winners, among them a debut for All-Ireland winning minor hurling captain Eoghan Gunning in the senior championship and also Paddy Meehan’s first outing in the senior championship as Broadford boss.

They led from the get-go and while the sides were level three times in the second quarter, a third quarter rally where Broadford hit 1-4 in five minutes proved to be the decisive period in the contest.

Meehan’s side yielded a return of 1-8 from their full-forward line, 1-7 from Niall O’Farrell and Stiofan McMahon, 1-6 of which came from play. The Mills’ full-forward line amassed a combined tally of 0-8, of which only 0-2 was from open play. That both Conor and Gerry Cooney in the O’Callaghans Mills full-back line picked up yellow cards indicates the amount of pressure both O’Farrell and McMahon had them under.

Clonlara the home of the county champions fittingly served as the venue for one of the opening ties in the 2024 Clare SHC.

With a strong start, Broadford had points on the board via Niall O’Farrell and Craig Chaplin. Aidan Fawl who led the charge in the Mills attack opened their account on seven minutes before Broadford had a swift response, the puckout was worked to Paddy Donnellan and his delivery was superbly caught in the air by O’Farrell who proceeded to stick the sliotar to the roof of Killian Nugent’s net.

A typical tit for tat East Clare derby followed for most of the opening half and by the nineteenth minute the Mills were level for the first time after hitting three points on the bounce through Fawl along with placed balls from Nugent and Colm Cleary.

Cleary was the responder on each occasion to converted efforts at the other end from Chaplin and Seán Phelan.

An excellent and vital flick from Conor Cooney on Stiofan McMahon stopped the full-forward raiding for their second goal but the resulting 65m was slotted over by Chaplin and followed by another O’Farrell point, although it was cancelled out by a Cleary free, the margin albeit a one point won favoured Broadford at half time.

Two Chaplin frees extended the gap to three points, less than two minutes into the second half.

Momentum was slowly lifting amongst the Mills, Seán Boyce making his championship bow cut the gap but then two frees were missed before Nugent, he then nailed his third attempt of the half reducing the deficit to a single point on thirty seven minutes.

Then Broadford upped the ante, Niall O’Farrell struck points off either side, Stiofan McMahon added a point and then fired a penalty to the bottom corner of the net after Darren Chaplin was fouled, their 1-4 spree coming in the space of five minutes.

McMahon’s penalty on forty four minutes created a six point advantage but the Mills ate into this with the conversion of three frees on the bounce. McMahon responded with a needed score at the other end to give some breathing space on fifty second minute.

Aidan Fawl was on his way to getting a green flag when he was adjudged to have overcarried the ball by Joe Mullins, after the whistle was blown he hit the sliotar wide but this gave a huge lift to Meehan’s men.

Captain Aidan O’Gorman was doing his best to try salvage something for the Mills and he landed a fine score from distance after combining with Cormac Murphy. With six minutes of normal time, they trailed by three.

However O’Gorman’s score was their last contribution to the scoreboard and Broadford sealed the win as their top scorer Craig Chaplin landed his eighth free of the evening.

Every team in Clare is targeting a win in the first round but for both these sides they viewed this as the game to get points on the board with their other group opponents Inagh/Kilnamona and Scariff considered the most fancied to progress.

Ger Hickey who was coach to the All-Ireland winning Clare minor side of 2023 is coach to Broadford and they placed a strong emphasis on overturning the Mills in defence. When they brought high intensity levels in this sector, it caught the Fireballs who overcarried or coughed up possession. They were at their best when feeding a direct supply to the dangerous duo of O’Farrell and McMahon.

Along with the high-scoring pair, Craig Chaplin, Diarmuid O’Brien, Eoghan Gunning, Eoin Donnellan and David Boland stood out.

A response is needed from the Mills and if last year’s Clare Cup champions bring the fight they will be capable of causing an upset in the second round. They will need to make changes and show an improved display in order for this to happen. Aidan O’Gorman was their best player on the evening.

Scorers Broadford: Craig Chaplin (0-8 7f 1’65), N O’Farrell (1-4), S McMahon (1-3 1’Pen), D Whelan (0-1), S Phelan (0-1).

Scorers O’Callaghans Mills: C Cleary (0-6 6f), K Nugent (0-4 4f), A Fawl (0-3), S Boyce (0-2), C Murphy (0-1), D Moroney (0-1), C Crehan (0-1), A O’Gorman (0-1).

Broadford:
1: Cian O’Brien

4: Damien Kiniry
3: Eoin Donnellan
2: Eoghan Gunning

5: Padraig Taylor
6: Cathal Chaplin
7: David Boland

8: Paddy Donnellan
9: Conor O’Donnell

10: Craig Chaplin
11: Seán Phelan
12: Diarmuid O’Brien

15: Niall O’Farrell
14: Stiofán McMahon
13: Donie Whelan

Subs:
17: Darren Chaplin for O’Donnell (27)
19: Mark Moloney for Whelan (42)
20: Oisin Kavanagh for Phelan (47)

O’Callaghans Mills:
1: Killian Nugent

2: Gerry Cooney
3: Conor Cooney
4: Keith Donnellan

7: Patrick Donnellan
6: Aidan O’Gorman
20: Eoin McInerney

9: Stephen Donnellan
8: Cormac Murphy

17: Mike McGrath
11: Aidan Fawl
12: Darragh Moroney